Honda/Yamaha of Troy through the years

FroDiddy
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7/24/2012 10:05am
^Good man! Cool
The Rock
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9/18/2012 7:18pm Edited Date/Time 7/11/2015 11:44am
M
7/11/2015 11:24am
Not to bring an old thread back from the dead but I really wanted to share my bike.


I'm so in love with these bikes. I grew up about an hour north of Troy Ohio so every year we went to Kenworthy's MX track. The Yamaha Of Troy & Honda Of Troy bikes were always my favorites. Here's my 2011 YZ 250. My plans are to make this bike look like a current YOT bike. Like if they were a race team today this is what one would look like. Eventually the bike will have a FMF pipe, black rims & blue hubs. I also plan on buying a late 2000's Honda CR 125R and doing the same thing.


The Rock
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7/11/2015 11:38am
Nice ride. Being a Buckeye from Dayton the 513 is a nice touch. Thanks for keeping the 5th Dragon going.

The Shop

7/11/2015 12:53pm
Thanks! That's funny I never noticed my number before. Ironically its the area code, but I got 513 because its my fiancé's birthday and thought it looked good.
Mia
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7/11/2015 1:02pm Edited Date/Time 7/11/2015 1:06pm



J law Bowers Osborne Morias

Best team ever. Lol
motomike137
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Fenton, MI, USA
7/11/2015 1:04pm
rallendude wrote:
Didn't MC actually ride with Suzuki of Troy graphics on his '97 RM250?
The Rock wrote:
HoT paid Jeremy 250K dollars to sport those graphics plus have a SoT logo on his jersey. That cash outlay along with the 150K dollars for...
HoT paid Jeremy 250K dollars to sport those graphics plus have a SoT logo on his jersey. That cash outlay along with the 150K dollars for Kiedrowski and his mechanic resulted in the first financial loss since the race team's inception.

I interviewed Jeremy for the HoT website in 97 and in the first draft MC stated if it hadn't been for this 250K he would NOT have been able to race that season. I faxed it to Phil Alderton and he had me take that part out since he didn't want to ruffle any more feathers.

Related factoid is Honda of Troy was finished after the 98 season as they had become the red hair stepchild in American Honda's eyes. Management was seriously chapped at Phil for trying to lure Jeremy to HoT in 96 with a large Budweiser contract since Phil's money man's family was a long time Budweiser distributor in the Midwest. The deal didn't go through but the damage was done. The only reason they got any support in 97 was outstanding Euro SX performances by both Stingray and Big Bird. After Craig and Ward dominated the Euro SX races Honda Japan told American Honda you WILL provide support to Honda of Troy in 97. By the 98 season this good will was used up so the team got minimal support in 98 and they were getting ready to fold up their tent and go home.

Yamaha wasn't aware of any of this so when they offered Alderton and Kehoe to become Yamaha's factory 125 effort they said sure and didn't let on how close they were to being finished.

BTW I can remember Jeremy and his mom in the HoT semi in 96 when factory Honda was still rolling in box vans.

It was quite the experience being involved with a team that at some races fielded a quarter of the riders in the 250 SX class mains as well as going to SX and MX races and knowing podiums and wins were a possibility. Biggest disappointment ever was losing the 125 National title to Pastana by only two points. Roncada had gone on a tear winning four races (or was it six in a row?) but horrible finishes at Kenworthy's both motos were the reason the title went down to the last round.

Man those were the days...............................
Curious as to why Jeremy would "NOT" have been "able" to race without the 250k?
7/11/2015 1:21pm
2011
Defintley my favourite looking bikes of all time (the outdoor bikes anyways. I dont find the white front plate gels with the black ass end well), followed by the 12/13 TLD Hondas. Technically not HoT bikes because theyre from the Eleven10 team, but they have the graphics so I'll count them Wink





7/11/2015 2:07pm
There is a nice video on YouTube of Darryn Durham on his Eleven10 mods CR125R with the "dragon" on it. Pretty sweet edit
7/11/2015 3:41pm
not for nothing, but we need some Metty '05 ...







ruskymx
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7/11/2015 4:13pm
My favorite setup I think was 2000.



downard254
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7/11/2015 4:35pm
Rock, did you race D-11 in the 80's. Sounds like you new Phil pretty well. I remember him Scott Paul and TC racing Huskys back then.
theToothPerry
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7/11/2015 7:41pm
I loved my YOT bikes. Perks of living close to the race shop in Valencia.

cable
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Rockford, MI, USA
7/11/2015 8:38pm
Todd Dehoop was the 26 bike. He was the first honda of troy rider in 1992/93. He rode phils cr500 in the fall classic series in 1993. He got eric kehoe on the team.
Myke
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7/11/2015 8:52pm
I really like the suzuki ones! Any more pictures of those?
mxgoon
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7/12/2015 3:44am




The Rock
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7/12/2015 10:29am Edited Date/Time 7/12/2015 10:30am
downard254 wrote:
Rock, did you race D-11 in the 80's. Sounds like you new Phil pretty well. I remember him Scott Paul and TC racing Huskys back then.
Most of my D-11 racing was in the 70s. I met Phil racing in Fairborn Ohio in 72 and over the winter of 72-73 our families became friends. Phil was Mr. Husqvarna for sure even building a trick Husky for Danny LaPorte to race at Husqvarna's request. Fast forward to 93 and Flipper calls me and says "Rock we have a race team now!" I was living in CA so I would get Cycle News typically on Tuesday then I would cut up and fax him race articles that typically would have a shot of a HoT rider since it was a given we'd be on the box and sometimes even standing on the top spot on the podium. So many great memories with Mike Brown winning Washougal near the top for HoT's (and Brownie's) first of what would be many victories. Troy Racing won five or six SX titles, missed out on the 2000 125 National title by only one or two points, something like 42 race wins and over 200 podiums. Those were the days.........

In my dreams there is a Husqvarna of Troy and Phil is the team owner.
VicDaMoan03
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7/12/2015 10:45am
Didn't YoT essentially chose to support Jlaw rather than continue to receive factory Yamaha support, or am I imagining that?
The Rock
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7/12/2015 11:04am
Ozzy could answer the question better than I could (or Scott Paul) but I'd just about put a body part on it that you imagined it.
shuggs
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7/12/2015 2:38pm
Got this done for grandson
WeiserGuy
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7/12/2015 3:38pm
Anyone find pics of the special graphics ran at Troy, OH?


Recently I was debating starting a thread about HOT/YOT with people bringing up the fact that this or that rider rode for them. Considering the number of riders they employed over the years, which guys had their best years on that team? Lawrence, Fonseca, Morias, Georke, Lytle & Lemoine all come to mind as well as a handful of others. Some established riders went there with sucess and other gambles stepped up when riding for the 5th dragon.

Would love to hear more stories about the team, riders, management and anything in between. Being from Ohio I loved this team growing up and always find my self wondering what if....
The Rock
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7/12/2015 5:50pm
Don't believe Goerke or Lemoine ever rode for YoT but I've been wrong before once or twice.
7/12/2015 5:56pm
WeiserGuy wrote:
Anyone find pics of the special graphics ran at Troy, OH? Recently I was debating starting a thread about HOT/YOT with people bringing up the fact...
Anyone find pics of the special graphics ran at Troy, OH?


Recently I was debating starting a thread about HOT/YOT with people bringing up the fact that this or that rider rode for them. Considering the number of riders they employed over the years, which guys had their best years on that team? Lawrence, Fonseca, Morias, Georke, Lytle & Lemoine all come to mind as well as a handful of others. Some established riders went there with sucess and other gambles stepped up when riding for the 5th dragon.

Would love to hear more stories about the team, riders, management and anything in between. Being from Ohio I loved this team growing up and always find my self wondering what if....
Reed had one very good season with them, and went on to some pretty great things,

him and Fonseca, Roncada all went onto factory 450 teams after YOT,
kawboy388
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7/12/2015 6:00pm
The Rock wrote:
Don't believe Goerke or Lemoine ever rode for YoT but I've been wrong before once or twice.
He has his Texas boy's mixed up. Cunningham went to YoT, Lemoine went to Star, in their rookie season's of 2007.
The Rock
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7/12/2015 6:32pm
WeiserGuy wrote:
Anyone find pics of the special graphics ran at Troy, OH? Recently I was debating starting a thread about HOT/YOT with people bringing up the fact...
Anyone find pics of the special graphics ran at Troy, OH?


Recently I was debating starting a thread about HOT/YOT with people bringing up the fact that this or that rider rode for them. Considering the number of riders they employed over the years, which guys had their best years on that team? Lawrence, Fonseca, Morias, Georke, Lytle & Lemoine all come to mind as well as a handful of others. Some established riders went there with sucess and other gambles stepped up when riding for the 5th dragon.

Would love to hear more stories about the team, riders, management and anything in between. Being from Ohio I loved this team growing up and always find my self wondering what if....
scott_nz wrote:
Reed had one very good season with them, and went on to some pretty great things, him and Fonseca, Roncada all went onto factory 450 teams...
Reed had one very good season with them, and went on to some pretty great things,

him and Fonseca, Roncada all went onto factory 450 teams after YOT,
Mike Brown went on to ride the GPs and win a 125 National title.

James Dobb went on to win a 125 GP title.

Ivan Tedesco had a storied career after Troy Racing.

Phil's sponsorship of McGrath's 97 effort was the tipping point that made Jeremy's switch doable.

Erik Kehoe went from being a rider to HoT team manager then YoT team manager followed by a great run at factory Honda.

Larry Ward made a pit stop at HoT for a couple of seasons and was one of Phil's favorite riders.

Chad Sanner work for YoT and Chad's respect for Phil lead him to put together the Eleven10 Mods effort complete with classic 5th Dragon logo.

Ask Marshall Plumb with Dunlop now how his years were with Honda of Troy and if he was treated right or not. Marshall went so far as to get a plaque made thanking Phil for all the support and for being his best boss ever.

Dean Baker now with JGR was a key component in the growth of HoT and YoT and I believe was the race team's first employee.
7/12/2015 7:27pm
Really glad this thread got bumped.. The stories are beyond cool!
The Rock
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7/12/2015 8:04pm
ruskymx wrote:
My favorite setup I think was 2000. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2015/07/11/97388/s1200_stephaneroncada_02.jpg[/img]
My favorite setup I think was 2000.



Steel City 125 National 2000 final? Roncada lost the title that year not at the last race of the season but at Kenworthy's. Don't remember if Stephane was sick but he finished in the teens both motos and lost a ton of points. He had a four race win streak if memory serves correct but came up short.

Phil Alderton told Stephane he made a huge error becoming friends with Pastrana that season. Nothing against TP199 but regardless Phil thought you needed to keep your distance from your main rival. To Phil's point later Stephane was quoted as saying (I'm paraphrasing} "well things worked out I won the 125 SX title and Travis won the outdoor title."

Would love to get ron ron's 411 on this epic season in Troy Racing's history and one very disappointing day in PA.
The Rock
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7/12/2015 8:17pm Edited Date/Time 7/12/2015 8:18pm
For you Honda of Troy fans Andre Licon who has the Erik Kehoe replica bike in Norcal will be the official keeper of the HoT flame. I sent him a bunch of rare HoT memorabilia from my storage unit last month (emptied that sucker OUT) plus have a very nice Christmas gift for Andre that will blow his mind. Known Andre for a few years now and he was a huge HoT fan as a kid and is why he built the replica bike.

After thinking about it long and hard I couldn't think of anyone more deserving than the collection of every piece of press that HoT got from inception until the transition to Yamaha of Troy/Troy Racing. This collection is currently in La Mirada CA but I will find a way to get it to Hangtown next season for hand delivery. Phil put the collection together and it is a lot of articles and clippings.

Phil's attention to detail was legendary plus he was quite the MX historian. When Ozzy took over as Team Manager his transition was made so much easier as Phil left behind all of his notebooks detailing all aspects of the team. Ozzy shared that with me which I thought was a huge compliment to Phil.

Remembering this stuff is a mixed bag of emotions.
The Rock
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7/12/2015 8:25pm Edited Date/Time 7/12/2015 8:28pm
It was either Hertz or Avis that banned any Troy Racing from renting one of their vehicles in the mid 90s. The team settled in and found it's pace but the first 2-3 years it was the Rolling Thunder Review where fun was the objective and money was no object thanks to the deep pockets of the efforts silent money man and increasing mail order sales.

One time Phil was dropping off a vehicle at the rental car deal and when he slammed the trunk the rear fascia/bumper fell to the ground. I think the ban came shortly thereafter. You can only get full insurance for some many race weekends and drive like maniacs for so many weekends you know before somebody connects the dots.

Actually I can still hear Phil now going (in the voice of a Hertz/Avis employee) "these Honda of Troy guys sure are unlucky getting into all of these single car accidents." HTBT but it was funny.

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